Note: This piece first appeared in the Winter, 1995 issue of
Perspectives,
published by the Orton Dyslexia Society.
Overview
This is the second in a series of columns on computers and other
technologies that can make a difference in the lives of people with
dyslexia.  I am a successful dyslexic adult and part of the reason for
my
success is the fact that I use computers and other tools to organize my
life and express my ideas.  I am extremely opinionated.  My strong
feelings
come from personal experience and the experience of thousands of people
who
I have helped get started with computers.  The fact that I recommend
certain computers, software, and other tools does not mean that they are
endorsed by The Orton Dyslexia Society.
Question
How do computers change the writing process and what effect might this
have
on a dyslexic writer?
Answer
Using a computer and various pieces of software for writing makes the
writing process easier, and so allows more writing to take place.  Word
processing software doesn't necessarily teach people how to write; it
simply allows more writing to take place (by making the process easier)
and
so, allows people to learn from their own writing experience.  Here it
is
again: the way to learn how to write is to do a lot of writing, and
using a
computer and software for writing can make the process of doing a lot of
writing easier.
Why Write?
How do you get someone who hates writing to use a tool - even one as
potentially interesting as a computer - to do something that is hard,
unpleasant, or may have no personal meaning beyond getting through
school?
Just having access to a computer doesn't automatically solve a writing
problem; the computer has to be used regularly as a writing tool to
produce a variety of writing.
One solution is to find a motivating force to get a person started with
writing and keep them writing long enough to get hooked on the process.
An external motivating force (an assignment or a reward) may work in the
short term, but it's not portable and may not work with every writing
task a person has to do in life.  What happens when the external
motivation isn't
there?  Better to learn how to produce an internal motivating force, for
instance, sharing a piece of knowledge, an idea, an opinion, anger, or
joy.
Separating the Tool from the Writing
It's also important to help dyslexic writers keep certain ideas clear in
their minds: the difference between their disability and their
intelligence, and the difference between the tools they are using for
writing and the content that they want to produce with those tools.  The
end goal is to use the tool to share the depth and complexity of one's
thinking in a form that others can understand, not to prove mastery of
the
tool.
With this in mind choose simple, easy-to-use writing software that will
fall into the background quickly, letting the writer get to the writing
without wading through layers of user interface that may confuse and
undermine self-confidence.
How Computers Change the Writing Process
When you write with a pen and paper, the composition process (forming,
organizing, and encoding ideas) and the printing process (getting ink on
paper) are wed.  Unless one has an incredible memory and can hold
complex
trains of thought in sequence long enough to get them written by hand,
the
pen and paper method isn't very useful for anything more than short
pieces
of writing.  When you fold dysgraphia into the mix, the pen and paper
method isn't very useful for anything more than writing checks.  A
typewriter solves the dysgraphia problem, but it does not solve the
memory
problem or the problem of needing to edit the writing later.
Computers change the writing process by holding all of the writing in
memory (instead of on paper), freeing the memory of the person doing the
writing, and because all of the writing is being stored electronically,
it
can be changed at any time with all sorts of electronic editing tools.
Even the simplest computer printer will produce easier-to-read print
than a
dysgraphic person can produce by hand, making the print easier to
proof-read, edit, and eventually share.
Electronic editing allows:
   ? Expanded vocabulary: The person doing the writing is freer to take
   chances with words that they use but don't know how to spell because
   they can fix the spellings later
   ? De-emphasis of spelling: Dealing with spelling can be left until
the
   content is set; then a spelling checker can be used
   ? Easy cut and paste organization: Easy reorganization frees a person
   from having to hold the entire organization of the piece of writing
in
   their heads before starting to write
   ? Easier proofreading: Allows a person to finally get a sense of
their
   own writing style and makes revision possible and bearable
   ? No more rewrites: Takes a huge weight off the dysgraphic person's
   back.
Conversational Writing
I learned how to write by writing hundreds of letters.  I was motivated
by loneliness and anger.  I had just moved to a new city and didn't know
many
people and had left a lot of good friends behind, and I was in the
process
of coming out as a dyslexic adult.  I had a lot to share and didn't have
close friends to talk things over with, so I turned to my manual
typewriter.  I started conversations through letters with many of my
friends who then lived too far away to talk with regularly.  It wasn't
an
appropriate form for all of them, but a few of them kept up the
conversation through correspondence.  I was not a very experienced
lettere; they appreciate it and they usually write
back.
List Making
Another simple but powerful technique to help a person get started with
writing is list making.  Rather than struggle with making complete
sentences, punctuating them correctly, worrying about grammar and other
technical language patterns, why not start by making a simple list of
everything you know (or can remember at the moment) about the subject at
hand?
For example, below I'll list some of the things I know about rock
climbing
(I used to do quite a bit of rock climbing):
   Rock Climbing
   places
   equipment
   weather
   clothing
   Yosemite
   rope
computer.have worked for me and are a natural for anyone who has access t
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